What education wisdom is more meaningful in life than a college degree?
The Chicago Tribune has been running a series about parental and peer pressures of high school students to obtain high ACT scores to obtain admittance to elite colleges to obtain success in life and social circles.
The Part 3 series article is titled, The Case for the Shop Class: How vocational schools and gap years can help ease academic anxiety, contained the following statements.
“Right now, everyone is expected to go to college. The expectation is the manager of Starbucks has to have a college degree.”
“These are your typical suburban parents. I tell them, If your wondering why there is so much pressure on kids, there it is.”
In Other Words
Teachers are being caught in the middle of a class war. They know in their minds and hearts their student’s capabilities and talents will vary. The teachers are pressured from both parents and school administrators for their students to achieve high ACT test scores even though they know not every child is capable to become an engineer, doctor, physics scientist, etc.
Of course, they also know some students are lazy or unmotivated, but that is not the point of this post.
What is My Point?
The problem in the USA is national society of elitism that judges and categorizes a student who is not a college graduate as a person of less value or status in life. When in fact, it is really the failure of USA secular education in public schools to teach what is the most meaningful skill for every child to learn and achieve success in their life, that being character and a good name.
Whether a child receives a good name for his or her character in a service profession, or trade skill of his or her choosing in life.
King Solomon, a great nation builder, held a competent person with a good name earned for business, farming, building, machinery, trade work skills in the highest esteem, and worthy to stand alongside him in his presence, not below him, or being shunned by “mean men, or obscure persons.”
Vocational training is not failure, and in many instances, can lead to greater riches than can be achieved by a Starbucks Manager with a college degree.
King Solomon
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.(Proverb 22:1)
Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. (Proverb 22;2)
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. (Proverb 22:6)
Do you see a man skillful at his work? It is with kings that he will hold office; he will not hold office with obscure men. (Proverb 22::29)
“In the business of his calling, be it what it will, whether for himself or his master; constant in it, swift, ready, and expeditious at it; who industriously pursues it, cheerfully attends it, makes quick dispatch of it; does it off of hand, at once, and is not slothful in it, nor weary of it; when you have observed and taken notice of such a man, which is not very common, you may, without a spirit of prophecy, foresee that such a man will rise in the world;
he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men, or “obscure persons” (o); he shall not continue in the service of ignoble persons, or keep company with them; but he shall be taken into the service of princes and noble men, and be admitted into their presence, and receive favors from them; as Joseph, who was industrious and diligent in his business in Potiphar’s house, was in process of time advanced, and stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt,” (Source HERE)
In My Opinion
Notice that King Solomon did not state a specific profession, “rather a man skilled at his work.” While I personally believe all education to be a meaningful interest and purpose throughout life, I also believe everyone has different skill levels and callings in life.
In ancient times a person was trained how to be worthy to stand in the presence and service in the court of their King.. Religious faiths believe we are all serving in the court of the Kingdom of God. A child must be trained to have good character if he or she wants to succeed to enter the presence of the Eternal Kingdom of God.
Make God the center of your life and in this way all of the activities of life will take on a rich meaning and the human heart will be satisfied. Strive to end each day in peace and contentment knowing that we have brought about something of joy, comfort, beauty, or improvement, into the world Yahweh created for us. I believe that in the eyes of our Creator, no endeavor we engage in to accomplish this purpose, will be too big, too small or insignificant a role or task. Take pride and satisfaction in your work by dedicating them to the Lord. “ (Source HERE))
You Decide
As a parent, what will you decide to be the most meaningful skill for your child to learn in school to obtain purpose and meaning in their life?
Will their childhood educational experience succeed to teach goodness and character to motivate them to become skilled in their choices of life and livelihood? Or will their experience result in frustration, anxiety, unhappiness, mental illness, and even thoughts of suicide?
Regards and goodwill blogging.
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